A newly released report shows a sharp increase in the incidence of erection problems among active members of the U.S. armed forces over the last decade.
According to the report, released by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center and published in the September 2014 issue of “Medical Surveillance Monthly Report,” newly diagnosed cases totaled 100,248 from 2004 through 2013. This represents a rate of roughly 10,000 newly diagnosed cases of impotence each year over the decade.
Rate More Than Doubles
In 2004 the crude incidence rate of impotence among active members of the military was 5.8 cases per 1,000 person-years (sometimes rendered as patient-years). By 2013 that rate had more than doubled to 12.6 cases per 1,000 person-years.
According to “Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, 28th Edition,” published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins in 2006, “person-years” is “the product of the number of years times the number of members of a population who have been affected by a certain condition,” in this case impotence. Because the number of men serving in the U.S. armed forces fluctuates from year to year, it is easier to measure the incidence of illness in these terms rather than as a percentage of all males serving in the military.
In sharp contrast to cases of impotence among the general U.S. population, almost half — 48 percent — of the ED cases diagnosed among U.S. servicemen were classified as psychogenic in origin. According to WebMD, it is estimated that psychological factors account for only 10 to 20 percent of all ED cases among the general population.
Psychological Causes
Among the most common psychological causes of impotence in the general population are anxiety, depression, guilt, indifference, low self-esteem, and stress, according to WebMD. Not surprisingly, the military report noted a link between symptoms of impotence and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Breaking down the data by service branch, the report shows that 48,445 cases were diagnosed among members of the U.S. Army, an incident rate of 10.9 cases per 1,000 person-years. Members of the U.S. Air Force accounted for 20,805 cases over the decade, or an incident rate of 7.8 cases per 1,000 person-years, followed by 20,281 cases in the U.S. Navy or a rate of 7.3. The Marine Corps had 7,822 cases and a rate of 4.4, and the Coast Guard had 2,895 cases and a rate of 8.3.
Of the military cases of impotence that were not psychological but rather organic in origin, the pattern was similar to that found among the general population. For example, impotence incidence rates were higher in servicemen who were 40 or older and highest in men above the age of 60.
Rate Highest Among Blacks
Breaking down the data by race and/or ethnicity, the report found that the crude incident rate of impotence was by far the highest among the black, non-Hispanic demographic with a rate of 15 and a total of 25,687 cases. This is more than double the crude incident rate among white, non-Hispanics, which came in at 7 and 54,790 cases. Hispanics had an incident rate of 8.1 and 10,323 cases, while Asian/Pacific Islanders had a total of 4,262 cases and an incident rate of 9.1. Coming in with the lowest incident rate was the American Indian/Alaskan Native demographic at 4.1 and a total of 570 cases.
Somewhat surprisingly, given the link between impotence and PTSD that was noted in some cases, service members who had never deployed had the highest crude incident rate, coming in at 10.1 with a total of 29,242 cases. Servicemen who had one to two deployments had an incident rate of 8.4 and 50,562 cases, while those with three or more deployments showed an incident rate of 6.7 and 20,444 cases.
Educational Background
Another surprising finding in the decade-long study of impotence among members of the U.S. armed forces was the incidence of ED based on educational history. While most studies of impotence among the general population have found that erection problems are more common among those with lower education levels, the opposite was observed in the military study.
The crude incident rate among servicemen whose education was limited to high school or less was 6.9 and a total of 59,425 cases, while those with some college accounted for 15,080 cases and a rate of 14.8. For those who had earned a bachelor’s degree, the incident rate was 9.8 and a total of 13,101 cases. Men with advanced degrees had an incident rate of 13.8 and accounted for 9,889 cases.
Marital Status
In its analysis of impotence incident rates based on marital status, the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center found that the rate was by far the highest among men who were separated, divorced, or widowed. This group had an incident rate of 18.4 and a total of 7,358 cases. Married servicemen had an incident rate of 10.9 and accounted for 74,310 cases. The incidence of impotence among single men who had never married was the lowest with a rate of 3.9 and a total of 18,580 cases.
In its editorial comment at the end of the report, the center notes that while impotence “does not present a life-threatening challenge and does not affect mission readiness, it is a common condition with a significant impact on quality of life.” The report goes on to observe that “awareness and understanding of ED” have increased in recent years as drugs to more effectively treat impotence have come to market.
Although it does not say so explicitly, the report suggests that in the wake of the late-1990s introduction of PDE5 inhibitors, such as Viagra and Cialis, men have become somewhat less hesitant to discuss their erection problems.
Help Is Available
Whether you’re in the military or a civilian, there is far more help available today than there was 20 years ago. Although there’s little doubt that the availability of effective impotence drugs has raised the profile of ED and encouraged many men to discuss related problems with their doctors, some remain embarrassed to raise the topic.
If you’re among those who feel uncomfortable discussing this matter with your doctor, eDrugstore.com offers an alternative in the form of an online consultation with a member of its team of contract physicians.
Medical Questionnaire
All you have to do is fill out a medical questionnaire detailing your medical history as well as the symptoms of impotence you have been experiencing. One of eDrugstore’s contract doctors will review the information and authorize a prescription if appropriate.
Based in Tempe, Arizona, eDrugstore is part of the Secure Medical family of online drugstores. It sells only FDA-approved drugs, all of which are sourced from licensed U.S. pharmacies.
If you already have a prescription from your doctor, you can fax or scan and email it to eDrugstore along with your order.
Don Amerman is a freelance author who writes extensively about a wide array of nutrition and health-related topics.
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